


Coalescence

by cordeliasept



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fire Emblem Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Fallen Takumi, Fire Emblem: Fates Spoilers, Gen, M/M, Male My Unit | Byleth, Male My Unit | Reflet | Robin, Male Summoner | Eclat | Kiran, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Silver Snow Route, Slow To Update, Spoilers, Valentine's Soren, Violence, slightly OOC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23239777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliasept/pseuds/cordeliasept
Summary: Despite having been sitting in the barracks since forever, Ephraim had always been a fan-favorite of Kiran’s, having been in the Askran Kingdom for nearly three years. Everything changes, though, when a slip-up of the tongue gets him caught up trying to rebuild a distanced friendship with an old rival, Chrom, for the 3rd-anniversary banquet. It would only get worse from there, when he woke up to find himself in a completely different world, amongst the students of a place called Garreg Mach Monastery in a country unknown to him known as Fodlan. Determined to figure out how to get back to the Askran Kingdom, he enrolls in the Officer’s Academy alongside Chrom, who has (somehow?) ended up with him, and a number of Kiran's other favorites.
Relationships: Chrom/Ephraim (Fire Emblem), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	1. disaster

**Author's Note:**

> Some of the characters may go a little OOC, sorry about that!
> 
> Idk where the idea for this fic came from. It just kinda appeared one day.
> 
> I know almost no one talks about the Ephraim/Chrom brofest anymore, but I still remember those days fondly. Mainly because FEH kinda trash rn and I just miss the older times.
> 
> OG Ephraim and OG Chrom in this one!

“Ephraim!”

Said aquamarine-haired boy turned, finding Kiran running towards him at a fast pace. He nearly tripped over his own feet as he stepped back before Kiran could run straight into him. “What is it?”

“Do you want to be on the next arena season team?” Kiran asked. “You’re a bonus unit for once; I’m so sorry that I left you sitting in the barracks for so long—”

“Sure. And no worries. Besides, you always come to hang out with me every so once in a while.” Truth be told, Ephraim was itching to get out on the battlefield. He had been with Kiran since the beginning of Kiran’s summoning days, or so he was told—he had always been a staple on Kiran’s main team for a while. Then, as time went on, Kiran managed to summon more and more units, and the barracks filled quickly. He had even managed to summon _another_ Ephraim, with an unpossessed Lyon attached to his hip. And apparently, to his discomfort, this Ephraim surpassed him in so many ways. With Lyon right by his side, and his own powerful weapon, Reginleif, that apparently surpassed Siegmund.

“It’s called being ‘outclassed’, Ephraim,” his rival Innes had told him, laughing. “It happened to everyone who got summoned in Kiran’s earlier years. I’ve been outclassed by a bunch of other bow users, so you have nothing to worry about. Unless you’re jealous?” His condescending tone made Ephraim want to punch him in the face, but he relented from doing so. After all, Innes wasn’t much better than he was in terms of being “outclassed”.

“That’s because you’re still one of my favorite units, even if I don’t use you as much.” Kiran smiled from beneath the hood. “You’re going in this time with Itsuki, Faye, and Ike—”

“Which one?” As far as Ephraim knew, there was only one Itsuki, and one Faye, but there were definitely more than two Ikes in Kiran’s collection.

“Brave. Axe Ike.” Kiran confirmed for him. “Don’t automatically think this will be the final team though—there’s still a day before the season changes, and I might switch one or two of them out, since everyone on this team is slow.”

“Ouch. Thanks, Kiran,” Ephraim winced. He internally groaned at the thought of working with Itsuki and Faye. Itsuki he didn’t have too much trouble with—he just thought that Itsuki was just...boring. Every single time he tried to make conversation with him, Itsuki would give off a bland, cliche-like response that didn’t really hold much thought behind it. Faye, on the other hand, was downright _annoying_. Ever since Kiran had summoned another version of Alm a couple of weeks ago, the girl had been fawning over both his sword and bow self nonstop. He could occasionally pass by one of the Alms in the hallways of the Askran Castle, making eye contact, and see the begging expression in their eyes pleading _please get me out of here._ It didn’t help that Kiran hadn’t managed to summon a Celica yet to drive her off.

But Ike? Ike he was cool with. He had a huge respect for the man.

“Sorry,” Kiran muttered sheepishly. “Anyways, I’ll see you around! Don’t forget there’s going to be a banquet tonight for the 3rd anniversary of me coming here; hope you come!” He smiled momentarily before rushing off again.

Ephraim turned back to what he was doing before, and unsheathed Siegmund. Now that he knew he was in the arena team, he was motivated to start practice training again. But where would he even go? It didn’t seem like anyone was willing to take him to the Training Stratum, and his fear of heights prevented him from going onto Aether Raids, the new mode he had heard about only a couple of weeks ago.

_Maybe I’ll just train in my room_ , he thought to himself, and as soon as he turned to leave, he saw his sister Eirika running towards him, grinning from ear to ear.

“Brother!” She grasped his arm, eyes sparkling. “Did you hear about the banquet?”

“Yeah, yeah, Kiran ran by and told me about it.” Ephraim smiled softly at the sight of his sister. “Why, is there something about it I should know about?”

“Apparently people are taking their S-Supports as dates to the banquet,” Eirika said mischievously. “Guess who I’m taking!”

“You have a date!?” Ephraim, baffled, stared at her incredulously. Of course, he had to remind himself that this Eirika was not the same one from his universe; this Eirika wielded a tome and despite being twins, was slightly older than him due to the difference in timelines. It wouldn’t be so weird if Eirika had found a date or significant other. She was also used more often, as Kiran didn’t have a lot of fire mages. Despite this, he felt himself tensing, readying himself to protect her.

“Yep! Micaiah, my S-Support.” Eirika burst into a fit of laughter as Ephraim choked on air, utterly shocked. “I know, ruler of Daein huh? You didn’t expect that one. But she’s incredibly kind. I know you two don’t talk often, but maybe tonight you’ll come and stay with us? Unless you already have a date—”

“Er, yeah, I do,” Ephraim blurted. 

Truthfully, he didn’t have a date... _yet._ He was still planning to come tonight; he just needed someone to pose as a date for him so that he wouldn’t embarrass himself. Problem was, he didn’t have any supports, much less many people he could turn to for help. He was more anxious, however, about meeting Micaiah than not having a date. Micaiah scared him a bit, though he didn’t want to admit it.

“You _do?_ ” Eirika’s jaw dropped. “Who is it!?”

“Uh…” Ephraim hesitated, racking for the first name that came up in his mind, and then blurted out without thinking: “Chrom!”

As soon as the name had left his lips, a sinking feeling began to set in his stomach. The last time he had interacted with Chrom, it was during the Voting Gauntlet two years ago—the very first one. Their sides had been put up in a match opposing each other, and both of them fought all the time, though it was lighthearted and more playful compared to the way Eirika was suffering under Lucina. In the end, he had won, though Lucina crushed him in the finals after finding out he had defeated her father. After that, both of them didn’t talk for a long time—in fact, Ephraim hadn’t talked to Chrom in two years. They somehow always managed to miss each other by a bit. If Kiran had noticed it, he never said anything. 

But now that this banquet was a thing, he had no choice but to look for him now, and beg him to do him this favor. Hopefully he wouldn’t hold anything against him for not talking to him in forever.

“Chrom? I didn’t know you swung that way.” Eirika raised an eyebrow. “But I mean, he doesn’t have any supports, and considering two years ago when you two fought, I wouldn’t be surprised.” Eirika punched his arm playfully. “Have fun with him, then! But you’re always welcome to join Micaiah and I if you ever feel left out or anything.”

“Thanks, Eirika.” Ephraim smiled, though weakly, and as Eirika left, he sheathed Siegmund again. Training would have to hold off for now. There was something more urgent to do.

—————

“Chrom!”

Male Robin’s voice echoed throughout the empty hallway, and Chrom turned around with Falchion in hand. Robin came to a stop in front of Chrom, Tactical Bolt tome in hand, panting hard. “Did you hear!?”

“Hear what?” Chrom, evidently confused, tilted his head.

“You know tonight’s banquet?” At this, Chrom nodded. He didn’t really think too much of the banquet, but he was going to go anyways for Lissa’s sake. She had begged for Chrom to go as well, and seeing that it was his sister asking, he couldn’t refuse.

“Well, Eirika just came by and told me you had a date!”

_What!?_ Chrom choked up, coughing into his elbow and stumbling forward slightly. He had no recollection of ever asking anyone to the banquet, but if he did, he would probably remember at least. Was someone playing a cruel trick on him?

“Woah, you good? I mean, I haven’t seen you want to ask out _anybody_ for a while. And you don’t have any supports either.” Robin snickered at Chrom’s reaction. “When I heard that it was Ephraim, I—”

“I’m sorry, _come again!?”_ Chrom was internally shrieking at this point. 

“Isn’t Ephraim your date?” Robin raised an eyebrow. “That’s what Eirika told me anyways.”

Chrom blinked. _Ephraim, of all people?_ He was vaguely aware of the man, with his brash attitude and overprotective demeanor. They had fought in a Voting Gauntlet before, but that was the last time he had even interacted with him. So why was he, of all people, suddenly Ephraim’s date to the 3rd-anniversary banquet? He even doubted that Ephraim would remember him, since he hadn’t seen his face, or talked to him, in two years. Somehow, he suspected some sort of ruse Ephraim created.

“I think you’ve got it confused. I’m only going for Lissa, to make sure she doesn’t get drunk or anything.” Chrom frowned.

“Ya sure about that? Because last time I checked, Eirika doesn’t really lie often.” Robin’s eyebrows quirked downwards, furrowing.

“I’m going to find him. I’ll see you around.” Chrom ran off before Robin could protest, turning the hallway corner and running off. The lord had a lot of explaining to do.

—————

_“Ephraim!!!”_

Chrom’s enraged shout caught Ephraim’s attention immediately. The navy-haired male burst into Ephraim’s room, slamming the door behind him. 

Ephraim, who had been sitting on the bed worrying about how he was supposed to confront Chrom about this, jumped as Chrom stood in front of his door. “C-Chrom!?”

“Please explain _why_ I’m your supposed date to tonight’s anniversary, will you?” Chrom shook his head, glaring at him. “I run into Male Robin, who tells me you’re my date, and that Eirika told him that, even though I don’t have any supports, or even _talk_ to you—”

“I—” Ephraim himself was at a loss of words. Mostly, he hadn’t even expected Chrom to find his room after not seeing him for eons—someone most likely had guided him, or he had made some sort of lucky guess. Either way, he had _no_ idea how to explain.

It didn’t help that he hadn’t seen Chrom whatsoever in the past two years. Looking at him now, he didn’t seem to age at all—but then again, in this world, most of the heroes didn’t seem to age at all. Chrom still had his youthful complexion, with dark tousled hair and his strange tank-top shirt hybrid, the tattered blue cape on his shoulders hanging loosely. His face lacked the worry-wrinkles he had when he had first been summoned long ago (Ephraim was there to see it). At the moment, his indigo eyes were boring into him, demanding answers.  
“Stop staring at me! I know it’s been a long time, but—” Chrom heaved a sigh, and then brought his hand to the Falchion hanging from his side. “If you explain everything, I won’t blow up.”

“Okay, okay.” Ephraim snapped out of his trance and sucked in a breath. “Kiran was talking to me today about the next arena season and then he reminded me of the banquet, and then Eirika came by when I was about to train and she asked me if she had a date because she was going to go with _Micaiah,_ of all people, and I didn’t want to tag along with her so I told her I had a date and you were just the first person to come to mind anyways—” He paused. “That sounds like a horrible, selfish reason. I’m sorry I dragged you into this, Chrom—”

“Woah, woah, okay, hold on.” Chrom held up a finger. “So this all started because you were _scared of Micaiah!?”_

“She literally has a whole goddess on her shoulder! How could I _not_ be scared!?” Ephraim protested. “Anyways, I’ll just tell everyone that it was a joke, and I’ll get out of your hair—”

“Wait. No, don’t do that.” Chrom interrupted Ephraim. “I’m pretty sure word would’ve spread to a lot of people already. Let’s just make the best of it by actually going.”

“ _What!?_ Are you sure about that!? You’re basically confirming that you don’t mind being my date—”

“No, don’t get the wrong idea!” Chrom, flustered, coughed into his fist with a blush starting to form on his cheeks. “We could just pretend. Besides, I haven’t seen you in eons, not after the Voting Gauntlet match. We could catch up on the past two years...though I doubt either of us saw anything interesting since we’re almost like...never used.”

Ephraim was speechless. Chrom waved a hand in front of him to get his attention, but before he said anything else, he finally managed to say something.

“Okay.” Ephraim sucked in a breath. “Okay. We’ll go in, and do what it takes for us to keep pretending. But are you sure? I mean, I’m alright, but I don’t know about you.”

“I’ll be fine. I have no supports to piss off anyway,” Chrom pointed out.

“Okay.” Ephraim closed his eyes momentarily before a look of determination crossed his face. “In that case...let’s get ourselves ready.”


	2. banquet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The banquet finally occurs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> should i add any trigger warnings? there is only implied depression here, but nothing else too major, or spicy, or any of that. lemme know after you read please~
> 
> more character cameos! (some of these are based off units I actually have in the game)

The castle was brimming with excitement as evening drew near, the heroes all eagerly getting ready for the banquet coming up in merely half an hour. Ephraim stood in front of his mirror, staring at his reflection, and shifting his armor accordingly. In order to celebrate the three years of the summoner being there, Alfonse requested that everyone wear what they had been wearing when they were summoned. Since Ephraim hadn’t trained in a while, and he hadn’t been used, he had opted for wearing his pajamas all day instead of his usual armor. Now sliding into the familiar tunic and securing all the interlocking belts strapped on his torso, he felt as if he were back to two years in the past—when he had been first sent out for a mission.

“You ready?” Chrom’s head peeked in from his doorway, waiting for him. After deciding to go together, the two decided to elaborately act as if they had both been dating secretly for the past two years, which would explain why they never acted towards each other at all during the day. Both agreed to act as if they were really into it, and both gave their consent should they have to do more...romantic things, in order to convince other people of their “relationship”. And whenever they would have privacy, they would use the time to catch up.

Of course, neither of them had really thought about what they were going to say to Robin and Eirika, but they pushed that aside for the moment.

“I’m almost ready. What do you think?” Ephraim turned, spreading his arms out wide.

“Reminds me of the time when I first got summoned and you stared at me because it was your first time seeing a summoning session.” Chrom chuckled at the memory.

Ephraim’s face burned at the thought. He had stood in front of the summoning pedestal, watching as Kiran carefully aimed his Breidablik before firing at a red orb, light nearly blinding his eyes until he laid eyes on the new, disoriented figure of Chrom. He had been in so much shock, he didn’t even notice Kiran’s cries of joy, and just stared at Chrom, who stared at him back with utter confusion.

“Wh-what? Where am I?” Chrom’s voice was raspy.

“Welcome to Askr! Seems like we summoned you, come this way, we’ll explain everything…” Anna had quickly took the reins, guiding the poor swordsman towards a tent. Even then, Chrom kept looking back, glancing at Kiran, and then at Ephraim, and then at Kiran again.

“Shut up.” Ephraim slapped his shoulder playfully before taking in a deep breath. “After I leave this room, we gotta keep the act tight. Are you 100% sure about this?”

Chrom nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll do the best acting that I can.”

“Just be natural.” Ephraim grabbed Siegmund and strapped it to his back, should he ever get into a friendly duel, and exited the room. He smiled at Chrom, closed the door, and took his arm.

—————

The dining hall was covered from top to bottom in decorations, and the tables were all lavishly stylized for the 3rd year anniversary. Kiran got his own special table, which was no surprise, but most of the tables were immediately occupied by people and their dates. There was already food set around the perimeter of the dining hall in a “buffet-style” sort of way (at least, that was what Kiran called it) and people were already making their way towards the food and drinks, which (unsurprisingly) included a lot of alcohol.

Ephraim immediately took a table nearby Lissa, to Chrom’s request, and set down his weapon on the seat as a reservation. Likewise, Chrom did the same with Falchion, and the two headed towards the beginning of the line of the buffet. Once they were sure people were too focused on the food, Ephraim finally spoke up.

“So what have you been doing in the past two years?” He was genuinely curious to see how Chrom had been.

“Well…” Chrom thought for a moment before scooping a couple of potatoes onto his plate. “I went out on some missions. Saved princess Fjorm or whatever her name was. Then I got moved to the Aether Raids team for the first couple of tiers, before Kiran switched me out again and I’ve been chilling ever since. Mostly just friendly jests with every newcomer. You?”

“Got moved out after we stopped Princess Veronica.” Ephraim knew he had missed two years worth of major missions, including the Niflheim and Múspellflame wars, and the war between Death and the Askran Kingdom. “I used to spar with Innes all the time. Then I got bored of it, so I decided to study magic.”

“You? Magic?” Chrom’s face was full of disbelief.

“I know. I can’t perform any magic well, but I know a lot of spells. Nothing useful enough, of course.” Ephraim shrugged as they continued down the line. “But it’s always good to do something.”

“Did you talk with your other self at all?” Chrom had forgotten about the food entirely, and Ephraim had to poke his shoulder to remind him to get some more.

“Once. It was weird, since this Ephraim was from the past...I didn’t mention anything about Lyon.” His lips pursed, jaw clenching. “He just seemed happy to be here, so I didn’t really talk too much to him. Gave him some advice though.”

“Oh.”

They finished getting their food in silence, before sitting down at their table. Soon enough, they were joined by Lissa, and the dining hall gradually became louder and louder as more people came in. Eventually, Male Robin slid in next to Lissa, grinning.

“So. Chrom and Ephraim.” Robin took a sip of beer. “Where in the world did you two decide to get together for tonight? I thought you two were just friends.”

“Actually, we’ve been dating for quite a while now.” Ephraim swiftly slung an arm around Chrom’s shoulder, to the surprise of Lissa. “We just didn’t bother to tell anybody.”

“Not even me?” Lissa seemed slightly hurt.

“Sorry,” Chrom apologized to her. “I was planning to tell you at some point, but it just never really crossed my mind that you would actually be curious about my mundane love life on the surface.”

“You know, after the Voting Gauntlet, I thought you two hated each other so much that you two refused to interact with each other after the battle. For two years straight, too.” Robin frowned.

“Oh. We normally have our dates at night, when everyone else is asleep or somewhere far away.” Ephraim shrugged sheepishly. “Sometimes we hang around the gardens, or near the fountain.”

“Really? Because I hang around the gardens a lot, and I never see you guys.” Robin’s frown deepened.

Ouch. Slight slip-up there. Ephraim didn’t lose his cool, and merely chuckled. “Oh. It’s only sometimes though. And sporadic as well.”

“How interesting.” The voice of Innes attracted Ephraim’s attention quickly, and he turned to see Innes arriving at his table alongside Tana, who eagerly took a seat next to Lissa. Innes himself sat on Ephraim’s other side, smirking. “You never told me this.”

“Innes!” Ephraim glared at his fellow rival, but let him stay regardless.

“What?” Innes spat back indignantly before digging into his food. Tana patted his back, reminding him not to chew too quickly, and an awkward silence fell over the table.

“Anyways,” Chrom interrupted. “Shall we toast for Kiran’s three years?”

“Alright, alright,” Innes grumbled, raising his glass. “To three years.”

“To three years!”

——————

It was already late into the night, but most of the dining hall was still filled with laughter and chatter. The middle had been cleared out for a friendly duelling arena, and heroes constantly fought each other. Friends came close together and celebrated the good times, and even sworn enemies seemed to make peace. Ephraim still found it strange whenever Fallen Takumi and Male Corrin seemed to share a drink together, or when Normal Zephiel hung out with Brave Roy, but he didn’t really question it. Meanwhile, Lissa herself had retired for the night, as well as Male Robin, who had complained about the noise and went back to study some more spells to clear his slightly-drunken mind. Innes was definitely drunk, to the point of constantly falling onto the floor, and Tana had her constant eye on him. Chrom was out of it, to Ephraim’s concern. He was worried that Chrom would accidentally slip up while tipsy, and he didn’t want to risk him getting more drunk.

Sadly, to his discomfort, Chrom took another shot, before Ephraim pushed his glass away. “No more alcohol for you, sir,” he said firmly. Innes laughed at him from afar, but Ephraim was seriously concerned for his friend.

“Ephraimmmmmm…” Chrom slurred, his eyes clouding over. Ephraim raised his eyebrows. Maybe he was more intoxicated than he thought. “It’s loud…”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough. Let’s get you back to your room.” Ephraim gave a quick glance towards Kiran, who nodded at him before refocusing his attention towards the duel between Ferdinand and Brave Hector, who was laughing loudly. Innes glanced at them for a second, but Tana quickly recaught his attention, settling him down on a chair nearby. Ephraim quickly exited the dining hall, giving Chrom a piggyback ride as he reached the cool air of the empty hallways.

“Chrom, where’s your room?” Ephraim asked him, hoping he would be able to get a response from the man. He shifted Chrom again, making sure that Siegmund wouldn’t accidentally spear the Ylissean prince.

“Third floor...farthest tower.” He spoke again, sounding less drunk, but still definitely out of it. Ephraim wasted no time, trying to get there as soon as possible. His feet picked up the pace as he raced around some stragglers, running up the stairs to reach the third floor. _Note to self—drunk men make great weights,_ he noted to himself as his arms grew increasingly heavier with every step.

He continued down the hallway, eventually reaching the door at the end leading to the tower. He never really went to the third floor, as it was mostly reserved for units that Kiran was building on the side, and he had been (mostly) left in the dust. But he didn’t really expect Chrom to live up here.

“Reach the rooftop,” Chrom muttered, and Ephraim grew increasingly suspicious. He was now certain that wherever they were going, it definitely wasn’t Chrom’s room. But nevertheless, he refused to drop the act just yet, just in case some mage littered the place with spells meant for eavesdropping.

“Chrom, just _where_ are we going?” Ephraim hissed quietly as he pushed open the door to the rooftop balcony, overlooking the sky and the land surrounding the Askran Kingdom.

“C’mere.” Chrom slid off Ephraim’s back, stumbling towards the edge of the balcony and leaning his body on the railing. Ephraim closed the door to the tower and joined him side by side. “Look at the sky.”

Ephraim stared upwards into the sky. Sure enough, the moon was shining brightly, and the sky was littered with stars. The warm glow of the dining hall below them contrasted beautifully with the dark landscape of the forests, and he could faintly hear the trickling of water as the river surrounding the castle moved quietly.

“It’s beautiful.” Ephraim smiled to himself.

“Alfonse said something about sky...or was it Rath?” Drunk Chrom furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Someone said something about sky. How we never look at it anymore.” He smiled to himself drunkenly before turning to Ephraim. “I missed you.”

Ephraim whirled his head towards Chrom so quickly, he nearly banged his head on Chrom’s. He paused, processing the words in his head, before smiling. “I missed you too.” 

“No,” Chrom frowned, and Ephraim became confused. Chrom turned back towards the sky, laughing to himself, thought it was hollow. “I missed being able to _talk_ to you. Things changed in the past two years...how come you never came to search for me? Did you forget about me?”

“What!? No! I—Chrom, if I forgot about you, I wouldn’t have brought you to the banquet as my ‘date’...” Ephraim shook his head. “I would have searched for you, Chrom...but I _couldn’t._ ”

“How come?” Chrom’s tone became demanding, wanting answers.

“Not being used as a unit for two years screwed me over, Chrom.” Ephraim frowned, staring at the ground. “I felt as if I wasn’t even needed for anything, like as if Kiran could send me home any day without a care in the world...the other Ephraim made me feel even worse, knowing I was doing so badly...I haven’t used my weapon in two years; that’s how bad it was for me.” Ephraim couldn’t help but continue talking, despite knowing that Chrom would most likely forget everything the next morning. “I planned to go to the banquet, but I didn’t feel as if I would have fun there...and…” He swallowed, the words falling away from his lips.

Chrom was silent, still staring out into the sky. Ephraim stared at him, wondering if he hated him now. He knew from seeing others earlier that those who were drunk tended to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Or at least, most of the heroes did.

“I understand,” Chrom finally said. He turned to Ephraim, smiling again, though it was more sheepish. “Sorry, Ephraim. I guess I was just mad that I never got to see you.”

“It’s okay,” Ephraim replied, though he felt guilty.

“Let’s be friends again, okay?” Chrom held out his hand shakily, as if waiting for a handshake. “Please?”

Ephraim stared at his hand, and then shook it. “Friends.” 

Chrom grinned before promptly slumping onto Ephraim’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around Ephraim in a sort of hug. A smile broke out on Ephraim’s face before he hugged him back, though worry tugged at the back of his mind. Would Chrom wake up and forget everything?

“Can we sleep out here tonight?” Chrom muttered.

“In these clothes? And in our armor too?” Ephraim laughed, but shrugged. “Okay.”

Chrom pulled away from Ephraim, which caused Ephraim to slightly slump awkwardly. Deep down, he yearned for another hug, but he didn’t mention anything. Meanwhile, Chrom fumbled in his pant pockets, searching for something, before pulling out a bottle of alcohol. He squinted, trying to read the label, but shrugged and handed it to Ephraim. “Drink.”

“What—” Ephraim had tensed, suspecting that the alcohol was for Chrom, but when he handed to him, he was utterly baffled. _One drink can’t hurt, right?_ He uncorked the bottle, and took a large gulp. When he put it down, he then froze. 

He had completely forgotten he was a lightweight.

_Oh, screw it._

He continued drinking down the bottle. He felt as if he were doing something wrong, but the buzzing that was starting to enter his head was drowning out his previous thoughts. It was okay to do something bad once in a while, and it wasn’t as if he was going to be hurt anyways. Besides, no one would find them in the tower, and he had Chrom next to him.

Speaking of which, he turned to Chrom. The drunk boy was getting more and more blurry, and he reached out to keep his balance before stumbling. Refusing to do anything more exhausting, he settled down on the cold stone floor of the balcony, Chrom soon joining him. He knocked over the bottle in the process, but it was already empty, so it merely clattered across the ground.

“Chrom,” he muttered, reaching out. His mind was hazy, and a small rational part in the back of his brain was telling him you need to rest, but he grasped the male’s right shoulder instead. He was starting to confuse reality with the act, and he wasn’t sure what to believe. So he sat there as Chrom stared at him, trying to think of what to do. He was slightly aware of time passing, of the loud boisterous commotion below diminishing, before the light below was almost nothing.

Before he finally decided to do something, he felt a wave of weariness overcome him, and he slumped over in Chrom’s arms, closing his eyes to berid of the dizziness before blacking out.


	3. worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ephraim wakes up the next morning to a surprise he never asked for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> might be a bit ooc again rip
> 
> anyways, new characters! everyone was luck of the draw. i added some tags too :)

“Get up this instant!”

Ephraim blinked his eyes open, staring upwards at the bright sky, the sun looming overhead. He rose to a sitting position groggily, trying to reach upwards to rub his eyes, when he looked down and realized—his wrists were cuffed together. Confusion crossed his face as he looked around. Temporary relief washed over him when he saw Chrom perfectly fine and awake, though it was soon replaced by worry as he saw the number of soldiers surrounding them.

Wait. 

Soldiers?

Last time he had checked, according to Kiran, the only soldiers in the Askran Kingdom were the Order of Heroes themselves. So why were there other soldiers here? He quickly came to one assumption: the castle had been invaded overnight.

“Where’s Kiran!?” He hissed at the soldiers, whom didn’t hesitate to pull out their swords. One pointed theirs at his throat, and he immediately shut up. Another pointed theirs at Chrom, who stared back wide-eyed. Ephraim frowned, wondering why Chrom hadn’t spoken up at all, but then he noticed the way Chrom’s mouth moved, but no sound came out. A spell had been cast upon him to be silenced.

“Silence.” A sharp voice spoke, and he looked up to see the face of another man staring down at him. He had cleanly-combed green hair and a slight beard, and green sharp eyes glaring at him. A gold headband wrapped around his forehead, and he wore tight-fitting robes reminiscent of church officials he had seen in his home world. He had never seen this man before, and he was slowly becoming more and more convinced that they had been invaded. The question that left the man’s lips next, however, confused him even more.

“Who are you, and how did you two end up on the Goddess Tower?”

Ephraim blinked, utterly confused, before looking around more carefully. To his horror, he couldn’t recognize the landscape at all. Instead of forests, there were merely flat lands of grass, leading up to a large castle-like structure in the distance. Below that were merely mountains and hills going down to land farther below, with actual forests and stone walls. The balcony they were on also seemed different, with vines wrapping around the pillars of the railings, and the ground scratchier than usual. The alcohol bottle from the night before was gone, as well as his and Chrom’s weapons (to his discomfort). He was worried he was hallucinating or caught under a spell, but he shook his head and pinched the palm of his hand. The pain that followed disproved his suspicions.

After carefully considering, he asked a question in retaliation: “Where are we?”

The man looked dissatisfied with their answer and turned away. “Take them to Lady Rhea. Perhaps she will be able to drag more answers out of them, in comparison to the others.”

_The others!?_ So they _had_ been invaded...had they? Ephraim found himself dragged to his feet as a soldier pushed him forward, and he worriedly glanced at Chrom. At the moment, he was the only sliver of what happened last night that was next to him, and he wanted to grasp onto him to make sure nothing was a dream. Chrom in the meantime staggered forward, obviously still hungover from the drinking from the night before. Ephraim had no choice but to follow.

——————

The minute he arrived in the middle of the cathedral, he gasped.

Standing with their hands also cuffed and weapons missing included Fallen Takumi (who shook violently at being restrained), Valentine’s Soren with his eyes constantly darting around, Legendary Azura with her headwear removed and her body covered by a large robe—probably due to her skimpy clothing, Tana with tears threatening to fall from her eyes, Igrene ( _that was her name, right?_ ) also covered in a robe and fuming, and Genny clinging onto Tana for dear life. Ephraim and Chrom were pushed alongside them. The man earlier, who was revealed to be called Seteth, stepped up to a tall woman with bright green hair and a kind but stern expression, wearing robes of white and adorning a gold headpiece.

“Lady Rhea, I have found two more of them. These seem to be the last ones inside Garreg Mach.” Seteth spoke. “Perhaps these two will provide some real answers in the face of the archbishop.”

“Thank you, Seteth,” Lady Rhea replied, and Ephraim bit his lip as Seteth stood aside. She then turned to him, eyes boring into his. “What is your name?”

“...Ephraim.” Ephraim reluctantly responded.

“And you?” She turned to Chrom. Chrom pointed at his throat with both hands, and Rhea sighed before waving her hand, most likely dissipating the spell on Chrom’s voice.

“C-Chrom.” He choked out, voice raspy from the night before.

“I see.” Her voice hardened. “Do you two know exactly where you are, and why you have trespassed onto this land?”

“No…” Ephraim frowned.

“We were drunk last night,” Chrom filled in, and Ephraim turned towards him with a slight hint of shock and worry. _Did Chrom remember everything from last night, or was he bluffing?_ “I think we drank too much, and most likely stumbled here.”

“That would be impossible. There are guards at every entrance,” Seteth immediately put in. Rhea glanced toward him, and he fell silent again.

“In that case, please tell us everything about yourselves.”

Chrom and Ephraim glanced at each other helplessly. What were they to say? They looked at all the other heroes amongst them and saw them all waiting for an answer, anxious and worried. It seemed like they would need to know where _exactly_ they really were first.

“At least tell us where we are,” Ephraim requested.

Rhea frowned but spoke. “You are in Garreg Mach Monastery, at the cathedral, in the country of Fódlan.”

_They were in a completely different country?_ Ephraim bit his lip, and sighed, giving up. “Do you know the country of Askr?”

Rhea shook her head.

“What about Ylisse? Renais?” Chrom piped up. “Valentia? Archanea? Sacae? Judgral? Tellius?”

Rhea shook her head even more, which made Ephraim glance at Chrom. Both of them seemed to come to an agreement, and Ephraim turned back.

“Well...I come from the country of Renais. He comes from Ylisse, and we both were summoned to Askr a couple of years ago. Yesterday, we had a large party, and we both fell asleep. When we woke up, we were here...wherever we are.” Ephraim did his best to explain without going too in-depth about the details of summoning and whatnot.

Rhea seemed to process this information for a moment. Then, her voice became much softer. “So you two do not know what happened the night before?”

Both of them shook their heads.

“In that case, it seems that we might as well treat these two as lost travellers. We will provide a place for you two to rest and be nursed back to health, before sending you back home...wherever Askr is. That may take years.” Rhea smiled at them before turning to the rest of the heroes in front of her. “As for the rest of you—”

“Wait!” Ephraim cried out. “They’re with us. We all come from Askr.”

Rhea paused, staring incredulously at the rest of the group. “All of you?” Chrom nodded, and she sighed. “Well, I don’t know how much room is left in the monastery, but I suppose we will provide rooms for them as well.”

“Lady Rhea! You can’t be serious! The next year of students are expect to come soon, there will soon be no room for anyone!” Seteth immediately protested, but Rhea glared at him.

“Do not question me, Seteth.” Rhea turned back to the group. “Please take them to the chambers and return their weapons. Do not worry about them trying to launch an attack—should they do so, they will immediately be put down.” Her voice was gentle, but her eyes were skeptical, watchful. “Perhaps, even while they’re here, they could enroll in the Officer’s Academy.”

Seteth seemed he wanted to protest, but he waved his hand, and the soldiers immediately rushed over to unlock their chains. With his hands freed, Ephraim immediately rushed over to Chrom, worry filling his expression. “Are you alright?”

“I’m alright. Don’t worry. Just a little hungover,” Chrom chuckled before glancing around with a more serious expression. “Though I just want to know how the others got here.” 

Ephraim glanced back. Sure enough, everyone seemed relieved at not being sentenced to death, but also just as confused as they were. “Do you guys know anything about what happened?”

“No…” Tana frowned, her usual bright demeanor replaced with worry. “I didn’t see anyone else from the Order of Heroes here other than you guys.”

“Me neither,” Soren grumbled, and Igrene nodded along. “I was just hanging out with all three Ikes, and now I’m here. Probably some sort of magic sent us here.”

“I don’t sense anything out of the ordinary that could suggest that this is an illusion.” Azura pulled the robe tighter around herself in order to shield from the chill of the cathedral. “It isn’t a dream either.”

“This is ridiculous,” Fallen Takumi sneered, crossing his arms. “Ephraim and Chrom only got shackles, but I ended up getting the full bondage treatment—as if I was even able to struggle! They took Skadi away, those scoundrels—”

“Do you think we’ll be able to go back to Askr?” Genny’s frightened voice interrupted Takumi’s rant. She glanced up at Ephraim and Chrom, instinctively shrinking back into herself.

Before either of them could provide an answer, Seteth pushed them forward. “Enough talking.”

Ephraim fell into a line, following the soldiers out of the cathedral. He glanced back to catch Rhea’s eye. She stood, watching them leave with a smile on her face. Though at first it seemed kind, the longer Ephraim stared the more her smile became menacing, until he couldn’t stand it anymore and turned away to leave the cathedral.

——————

Later, everyone was gathered in Ephraim’s guest room, sitting on the cold stone floor. The door was closed and locked to prevent any passerby, and once in a while Genny (who was the closest) would get up and take a quick peek into the hallway to make sure no one was around. Ephraim himself was leaning back on the side of his bunk, arms crossed.

“So what were you guys doing last night? One at a time,” Ephraim asked. “I was with Chrom at the balcony of the third floor’s farthest tower. We were drinking, and I guess we passed out. When we woke up, Seteth found us and the world looked completely different.”

“I was with Innes,” Tana said next. “After he got rid of the alcohol in his body, I went to get him some water. For some reason, while I was outside at the well, I got really sleepy, so I tried to get water as fast as possible, but I fell asleep instead. When I woke up, I was found on the ground. Innes must be worried sick about me…”

“I was with the Ikes, like I said before.” Soren sighed, dusting off his Valentine’s dress. “After the party, Legendary Ike went to get one last drink, and Brave Ike was braiding my hair, hence why it’s messy now.” He brushed his fingers through his hair, dissatisfied, but went back to speaking. “We both fell asleep around the same time. When I woke up, he was gone, and I was in a random bed, and the guards from here found me.”

Ephraim paused for a moment. “Do you think that Brave Ike is here with us as well?”

“I don’t know,” Soren frowned. “After getting his last drink, Legendary Ike went back to Normal Soren. I do recall feeling weary all of a sudden, but I don’t know if Brave Ike was the same way.”

Ephraim made a mental note to check on that later. “Okay, next?”

There was silence from Fallen Takumi for a couple of seconds, and everyone waited silently. Ephraim vaguely recalled Kiran telling him about Fallen Takumi, and how he was a complete enigma compared to his normal self. _Possessed by a dragon,_ Kiran had said. _They say that the old Takumi died in him a long time ago and he’s being held like a puppet._

“I was sharing drinks with Male Corrin,” Takumi grunted begrudgingly, the dark purple glow around him shining a little brighter as mist wafted off his body. “After a couple, I went up because my head hurt being around him. I was _just_ trying to be nice, but not even a moment can go by without me wanting to rip his face off. It’s only because of the summoner and my other family members keeping me in check.” His expression darkened at the thought, and Ephraim braced himself, should he lash out. “But I went up to my room, and went to bed at a normal time. I just woke up and got kicked out by a guard. He tried to attack me, so I shot him in the shoulder with Skadi. Then more came, and then I was surrounded. I don’t get how you guys had sudden waves of weariness; I just fell asleep like a normal being.”

“Uh, I wouldn’t exactly say that ‘normal’ is your most defining trait, Takumi,” Tana suggested sheepishly. 

“Fair enough.” He leaned back on the wooden desk across from Ephraim’s bunk. “And ever since I’ve been here, it’s like my magic has been subdued. This place is clearly foreign, and my powers are an anomaly in this universe.”

“Are you saying we’re in a different realm?” Ephraim perked up at the idea. If there was anyone who could determine what happened, it was definitely Fallen Takumi, considering that an evil dragon had taken hold of him.

“I think that’s the most plausible explanation as to what happened.” Takumi sat back. “Can I stop talking now?”

“Yeah, whatever,” Ephraim sighed before moving onto the next one in the circle, his breath hitching in nervousness.

“Well, as Ephraim already said, we were drinking. To be honest I don’t remember much of anything. I think I was too drunk.” Chrom scratched the back of his head. “I do vaguely remember talking to Ephraim, but I don’t remember what it was about. When I woke up, I had a splitting headache. Seteth found me, and I tried to fight, but he did something to my throat to keep me from speaking, so I waited until Ephraim woke up. I’m _still_ feeling miserable; this is the worst hangover of my life.” He groaned, rubbing his temples, and sympathy washed over Ephraim.

“I was talking with my father,” Igrene spoke up. “I only got summoned a week ago, so I didn’t really know much about Askr. Though I do remember afterwards going out to explore the castle at night. I did start feeling sleepy at some point, but I didn’t pay attention to it until I fell into the river. When I woke up, I was on the side of a dock, and some guys were hauling me out. At least they gave me the decency to dry up before getting arrested.” She scoffed.

“I-I was with Alm…” Genny’s voice was soft and timid. “We were talking to Faye and Boey. My head started to hurt, so I went to use the restroom, but…” Genny frowned. “Once I got there, it was locked. So I went to the barracks to see if the key was there. I stepped inside and it was really warm, so I started getting sleepy while looking for it. I think I just fell asleep after that...but when I woke up, I was in a completely different armory, and the soldiers were pulling me out of there roughly...I was scared.” She shuddered, and Ephraim felt for her pain.

“I had noticed something was unusual that night,” Azura added. “I went to go check up on Female Corrin after Kiran made me go through a dance competition, but then I sensed another presence. As if something was watching us. I got worried, so I went to check it out. I’m not quite sure what happened, but next thing I knew, I was here in this world.” She frowned. “It seems like I was the first to arrive out of everyone, so I looked around to see if anyone could tell me where I was. I managed to get to the monastery gate, but the guards weren’t cooperating with me, so I sung to get them to let me through. Once they realized what happened, they arrested me. It’s a good thing I got my Prayer’s Wheel back.” She held the relic in her hand, turning it slowly.

“Well then. I think we can all agree that we have to get back as soon as possible.” Ephraim addressed the group, and everyone nodded. 

Igrene’s face twisted. “How come you’re ordering us around?”

“Igrene!” Azura shot her a dirty look. “Ephraim has been a part of the Order of Heroes the longest out of all of us. Give him some respect.” Igrene grumbled, but didn’t say anything else.

Ephraim, slightly miffed, chose to ignore that statement. “Rhea already said that she would help us try to get back to Askr, but since they don’t know anything about the country, they’ll probably ask us a lot of questions. Try to be truthful if they ask anything about us, but if they have other plans with Askr, then we have to get out of this monastery.” He glanced around, taking in everyone’s expressions. Chrom was listening intently, expression serious. Azura was half-smiling, and Tana and Genny both seemed worried. Soren and Igrene seemed annoyed at the prospect of being questioned, and Takumi kept a neutral face. He had never seen a more haphazard group of heroes work together like this, but he knew he had no choice. “Are we all in this together?”

“I’m in,” Chrom said immediately.

“Me too. I need to get back to Innes, and we’ll get back much faster if we work together,” Tana grinned optimistically.

“I trust you, Ephraim,” Azura said softly, and Ephraim felt himself relax a little from her words.

“S-Same! We’re going to get back!” Genny said with a sudden burst of determination.

Ephraim felt even more relieved, knowing that the majority were on their side. Then he glanced at the remaining three—Takumi, Soren, and Igrene—waiting for an answer.

“Alright.” Igrene’s word surprised Ephraim. She sighed before glancing up at Ephraim and smiling. “I haven’t seen you at all around the castle, but I trust you enough.”

“I hate working in groups,” Soren grumbled, but he nodded. “I’ll join. If Brave Ike is out there somewhere...I need to find him.”

Takumi was silent as all eyes were on him. He closed his sharp red eyes for a moment. When the gazes didn’t move, he sighed exasperatedly. “Gods! Give me a break. Alright, alright, I’ll help.”

_Thank god,_ Ephraim thought as everyone seemed to relax. _With all of us working together, we’ll be alright._

_Hopefully._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be a bit more clear, the group is og ephraim, og chrom, legendary azura, og tana, og genny, og igrene, fallen takumi (under anankos control), and valentine's soren, in case anyone is confused about whether the others are alts or not
> 
> though azura and takumi come from the same game, they were summoned from different universes, so they didn't know each other beforehand. same with ephraim and tana.


	4. wandering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ephraim finds a way to ensure their stay, and later finds a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late (and short :( ) update! I actually just got three houses, so now I'm adjusting everything to make sure it's correct with the rest of the storyline. Hopefully after this I'll be able to update more often!

The next couple of days were spent on research. After everyone came to the consensus that Ephraim would be the most ideal choice for a leader (though some preferred Chrom), they decided to split up in order to learn more about where they were at the moment. Takumi and Azura, being the only two who were able to use otherworldly powers in their universes, were testing what powers worked in this world and what powers didn’t. Apparently, Skadi was still functional and could still conjure up its bowstring and arrows. Azura’s singing and magic was still effective. Anankos was unable to leave Takumi’s body, and Azura was able to sing without draining her life force. The two were currently discussing how to get back.

Genny and Soren were studying up on the history of Fodlan. Apparently, they were split into three separate territories, with their current location in the middle being the center of it all. According to Rhea, the next year of students at Garreg Mach would include the royal families—Edelgard as the princess of the Adrestrian Empire (which Igrene noted was large), Dimitri as the prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and Claude as the heir of the Leicester Alliance, as well as respective noble heirs from each territory. There were other outlying territories as well, smaller island-like lands named Sreng and Brigid and Dagda and Duscur.

Apparently. something had gone really bad with the last one a while back. When Soren read about the Tragedy of Duscur, he snorted to himself and huffed. "It's definitely safe to assume that everyone else is being paranoid and immature about it."

"I mean, we don't know," Genny said softly. "There could be more to it."

"True," Soren muttered, and the two went back to examine the rest of the history of Fodlan.

Igrene and Tana decided to explore the rest of the monastery, making note of important buildings and asking others of what the significance of each place was. Tana had somehow managed to get a notebook from a friendly merchant, and was sketching out a map.

In the end, it was Ephraim and Chrom who went to Rhea and Seteth to ask them questions in private. Currently both were sitting in the Goddess Tower, which was devoid of inhabitants, and were waiting for Rhea and Seteth to come.

"Why here?" Chrom frowned, running his hand along the tile floor.

"Perhaps she wanted to enjoy the weather. It is a nice view." Ephraim pointed out to the balcony that they had woken up on, where the sun shone through in all its glory.

"True." Chrom smiled half-awkwardly before looking downwards. "Can you tell me what happened last night? It's all fuzzy."

Ephraim paused, wondering if he should tell him. The silence gave Chrom the wrong impression, and the man's cheeks reddened. "Oh no, we didn't do anything like _that,_ did we!?"

"What? No, no! Of course not!" Ephraim frowned. "It's just...it was a heavy topic. Touchy."

“Oh.” For a moment, Ephraim could’ve sworn the man sounded _disappointed_ , but he shook it off. “Well, I won’t bring it up now, or ask you if you don’t feel comfortable about it.”

“No, it’s okay, I trust you.” The words felt heavy on his tongue, as if he were taking on a burden. He _hated_ that feeling; it had haunted him for months, leaving him unmotivated and lackadaisical in everything he did, draining him of the energy he needed to even have a consistent conversation with anyone besides his sister or Kiran. He subconsciously shivered, wanting the feeling to go away.

“Are you cold?” Chrom frowned. He glanced out towards the balcony. “We can go out into the sun; it’ll warm you a bit.”

“You’re one to talk,” Ephraim said, but shook his head. “I’m alright. Felt a slight breeze, that’s all.”

Before Chrom could respond, the sound of footsteps interrupted them, and Rhea and Seteth soon appeared. Seteth glanced down at them disdainfully, but Rhea kept her stoic and calm expression. The two split apart almost immediately and watched as the two took a seat across from them _(Really? Why are we bringing up chairs,_ Ephraim thought).

“What was it that you needed?” Rhea asked softly.

Ephraim glanced over at Chrom. He had discussed this with him earlier, amongst the rest of their group after getting enough information. He suspected this had probably never happened in this world’s history, but he was going to be a first.

“Well, it starts with enrolling into the Officer’s Academy…”

——————

“So what you’re saying is you want to make a _new house_ entirely!?” Seteth was nothing short of appalled, evident shock in his face. Ephraim nodded, and Seteth turned to Rhea. “You cannot seriously be thinking of allowing this. They don’t even have a territory to represent…”

“Askr,” Chrom suggested, and Seteth facepalmed. “Well, I _suppose_ that works, but…”

“We don’t have enough professors to hold another house,” Rhea said, and Ephraim stared at her incredulously. _How!?_ “Should you find a suitable professor we deem fit, then perhaps we can reconsider.” Ephraim didn’t need to ask to know that the glint in her eyes meant a clear, hard no.

“Then perhaps we _do_ find a professor. In that case, would you allow us to create our own house?” Chrom asked.

“Well, we won’t change the tradition of the Battle of Eagle and Lion, and perhaps a number of other things, but I suppose so.” As Rhea continued to speak, Seteth stared at her as if she had just agreed to a suicide mission. 

“Forgive me,” he interrupted. “But how could you be so _lenient_ with these newcomers? I do not mean to sound rude, but we barely even know you.”

“We can tell you about our countries if you wish.” Ephraim bit his lip, not liking his current chances. He didn't want to expose his entire history to two strangers he had never met before, but he figured being in such a disadvantaged state he would be in no condition to fight. _And diplomacy first,_ he reminded himself.

Before he knew it, he was telling Rhea and Seteth about Renais, about the continent of Magvel and how Grado, one of the nearby countries, had ended up starting a war. He talked about how he and his sister Eirika were defeated and separated, eventually reuniting together and overall defeating Grado. He mentioned Frelia but didn’t talk too much about it. He figured Tana could give that information to them herself. Then he mentioned being summoned to Askr, and dwelling there in the meantime before he had suddenly woken up here.

As soon as he finished, he frowned, wondering if it had been such a good idea to reveal so much about his past. But to his surprise, Rhea and Seteth didn’t seem to show any signs of shock, and Rhea merely nodded. “I see. So you are of royal blood?”

“Yes.” Ephraim wondered if Rhea was going to start interrogating him more.

“So am I,” Chrom said. “Right before I was summoned to Askr, I was supposed to take on the title of Exalt for my country.”

“I see. And what about the rest of your fellow friends?” Seteth asked.

“Tana is the princess of Frelia, and Takumi is a noble of Hoshido. But that’s all I know. Do you know anyone else of royal blood with our group?” Ephraim whispered to Chrom, who shook his head. “That seems to be about it.”

“Hm..then so as long as they’re not causing trouble…” Seteth pondered. He then nodded at Rhea. “I believe it is safe to let them create a new house. But only if they are able to find a professor before the next moon starts, and on the condition they are kind to Flayn.”

“Flayn?” Chrom questioned.

“Flayn. My sister.” Seteth nodded. “You may run into her sometime today.”

“It’s settled, then. The Askrans are allowed to create a new house for themselves if they are able to find a professor by the next moon.” Rhea nodded, and Ephraim and Chrom grinned.

—————

“Bandits!?” Soren grumbled. “Why are we sneaking out at this hour to go search for _bandits!?”_

“You heard the Alois guy; there’s a group of bandits attacking the heirs of the territories. This is our chance to get to know who they are and maybe find some new information,” Tana whispered back to him as the Askrans crept through the forest outside of the monastery.

“Maybe Ike is there with them,” Igrene suggested, and Soren fell silent.

“I hear voices! We must be getting close,” Ephraim muttered as they followed Alois towards a torchlit clearing. “Come on.”

Alois broke out into the clearing, catching the attention of a number of figures in the distance. Ephraim and the group stayed in the shadows, moving to the side where they could get a better view. Sure enough, Alois’ two soldiers were chasing after a couple of bandits, and he was now running towards another group which Ephraim could only assume was the heirs.

A girl with long white hair and red clothing nods in acknowledgement to Alois. A blond-haired male with pale skin and a blue cape deftly sheathed his lance, smiling slightly. And a dark-skinned, messy-haired boy with yellow clothing seemed to be congratulating himself, smirking. Next to them were a tall male with dull eyes and hair the shade of dark green, holding a sword in his hand and adorned with black. Behind that guy was a much-older man with bright brown hair and some armor on, and next to him…

“Ike!” Soren whispered excitedly. “He’s here!”

“Shh!” Takumi clamped a hand over Soren’s mouth, much to his chagrin. But the damage was already done. Sure enough, the group was looking around, wondering if they had just heard a noise.

“What was that?” Alois said.

“I’ll go check it out,” Ike replied, hefting Urvan and walking over towards the bushes. As he slowly drew near their location, the entire group held their breath.

He then stopped right in front of them, and bent down. Then, he pushed back a branch, revealing Soren and the rest of the group. His eyes widened at the sight. “I-I thought I was the only one!” Ike hissed.

“Garreg Mach Monastery. Meet us there,” Ephraim whispered back, and Ike gave a very slight nod before letting go of the branch, concealing them in the darkness. He then walked back, Ephraim vaguely hearing “Don’t see anybody” before nodding at the group. Everyone nodded back, and they began heading back the way they came.


End file.
